Cast cover



Dec. -17, 1968 B. M- SAMUELS E L 3,416,518

CAST COVER Filed Sept. 12, 1966 INVENTORS BESSIE M. SAMUELS EDITH M. LONG BY 3 A TORNEYS United States Patent 3,416,518 CAST COVER Bessie M. Samuels, RR. 5, Box 138 46011, and Edith M. Long, 2729 Alexandria Pike 46012, both of Anderson, Ind.

Filed Sept. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 578,701 7 Claims. (Cl. 12882) This invention relates to a cover for a cast for a broken limb.

It is an object of the invention to provide a cover which can be easily placed over and removed from a cast, which will protect the users skin from the edges of said cast, and which will protect said cast against becoming soiled and unsightly.

In accordance with one form of the invention, as it is embodied in a walking leg cast, there is provided a generally tubular sleeve of elastic material having an upper open end and a lower closed end. A toe guard of flexible waterproof material is secured to said sleeve adjacent said closed end to protect the forward portion of the sole during walking. In a similar manner a heel guard also formed from a flexible waterproof material is secured to the sole portion of the sleeve to protect the heel of the cast. Longitudinal rows of stitching extend between said guards and are interconnected by longitudinally spaced rows of transverse stitching. In this manner, openings can be slit in the sleeve material to permit the groundengaging peg or cross bar on the cast to project through said sleeve with the stitching preventing the sleeve material from ripping or tearing around said peg or cross bar.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the more detailed description which follows and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an arm cast cover embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a Walking leg cast cover embodying the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of the walking leg cast cover shown in FIG. 2.

The arm cast cover shown in FIG. 1 is formed from a tubular sleeve of a stretchable elastic material and is provided with opposed open ends 12 and 14. Binder strips 15 also formed of an elastic material extend around the end openings 12 and 14 to permit the ends of said sleeve to extend around and "be tucked in the open ends of an arm cast and thereby prevent the frayed ends of said cast from irritating the skin of the user. A thumb opening 16 is formed in the sleeve adjacent end opening 12 and is provided with a peripheral elastic binder strip 17. In this manner, the material around opening 16 can extend around and be tucked in the cast thumb opening to protect the users thumb against the irritation of any frayed cast material.

The walking leg cast cover shown in FIG. 2 is formed from a tubular sleeve 20 of a stretchable elastic material. the upper end of said sleeve is open, as at 21, and is provided with a peripheral elastic binder strap 22 whereby The' upper end of said sleeve is open, as at 21, and is probindingly received in the upper end of the cast. The lower end or toe of the sleeve is closed, as by stitching 24. Conveniently, about 6 inches to 9 inches inwardly from the stitching 24 the sleeve is provided with stitching 25 extending partially around its circumference. This divides the sleeve into a foot portion 26 and a leg portion 27 and gives it a slight boot-like configuration to facilitate pulling the cover over the cast.

A generally U-shaped stitching 29 extends inwardly from the toe stitching 24 in the foot portion 26 to define a sole portion 30. A toe guard 31 formed from a flexible waterproof material, such as polyvinyl chloride, is secured to the sleeve over sole portion 30 adjacent the toe stitching 24. Said toe guard prevents the users toes, in the case of an open toe cast, or the toe portion of the cast, in the case of a closed toe cast, from coming in contact with the ground and becoming soiled. In a similar manner, a heel guard 32, which can be formed from the same material as toe guard 31, is secured to the sole portion rearwardly of the guard 31 to prevent the heel portion of the cast from contacting the ground and becoming soiled.

As shown, laterally spaced parallel rows of stitching 34 extend longitudinally of the sole portion from the toe stitching 24 to the heel guard 32, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced parallel rows of stitching 36 extend transversely across the sole portion 30. Thus, the sole portion is provided with transverse areas 37 which can be slit to permit a transversely extending ground-engageable cast bar to project through the cover, and with longitudinally extending areas 38 which can be slit to permit a groundengageable cast peg to project through the cover. Desirably, the stitching 34 and 36 is an elasticized stitching, such as a satin stitch, and may be reinforced by strips of elastic binder secured to the sole 30 by said stitching. As will be apparent, the sleeve fits snugly around a cast bar or peg, but with the areas 37 and 38 being bordered by rows of stitching the sleeve material will be prevented from ripping or tearing outside the extent of said areas when the cast bar or peg-receiving slits are formed therein.

A modified embodiment of the walking cast cover is shown in FIG. 3 and comprises a tubular sleeve of a stretchable elastic material 42 having an open upper end 44 provided with an elastic peripheral binder strip 46 and adapted to be tucked in the upper end of a cast. Said sleeve has its lower end closed, as by stitching 48, and is provided with a row of transverse stitching 49 extending partially around its circumference about 6 inches to 9 inches inwardly from the stitching 48 to divide the sleeve into a foot portion 50 and leg portion 51.

A toe guard 52 formed from a flexible waterproof material is secured to the sole portion 53 adjacent the stitching 48. A pair of parallel rows ofstitching 54 extend longitudinally along the sole portion 53 and are interconnected by transverse rows of elasticized stitching 56 to thus define areas 57 which can be slit to permit the ground-engagea'ble peg on a walking leg cast to project through the cover with the stitching 54 and 56 preventing the sleeve material from ripping or tearing outside the extent of said areas when the cast peg-receiving slits are formed therein. As with the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the rows of stitching 54 and 56 may be reinforced by elastic binder strips secured to the sleeve by said stitching.

As will be apparent, by being formed of stretchable elastic material, the sleeves 10, 20 and 42 will fit snugly over the cast with which they are being used, and, because of their inherent resiliency, each such sleeve can be used with a plurality of diflerent size casts.

We claim:

1. A cast cover, comprising a tubular sleeve of an elastic material having an open end and a closed end, a toe guard secured to said sleeve adjacent the closed end thereof, and a plurality of intersecting rows of stitching adjacent said toe guard defining sleeve areas therebetween adapted to have openings formed therein for the reception of a cast projection.

2. A cast cover as set forth in claim 1 in which said rows of stitching comprise a pair of laterally spaced rows extending longitudinally inwardly of said sleeve from the closed end thereof, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse rows interconnecting said pair of rows.

3. A cast cover as set forth in claim 1 with the addition that a transverse row of stitching extends partially around said sleeve intermediate its length.

4. A cast cover, comprising a tubular sleeve of an elastic material having an open end and a closed end, a toe guard secured to said sleeve adjacent the closed end thereof, a heel guard secured to said sleeve inwardly of said toe guard, and a plurality of intersecting rows of stitching extending between said toe and heel guards dcfining sleeve areas there'between adapted to have openings formed therein for the reception of a cast projection.

5. A cast cover as set forth in claim 4 in which said rows of stitching comprise a plurality of laterally spaced longitudinal rows of stitching extending between said toe and heel guards, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced pairs of transverse rows of stitching.

6. A cast cover as set forth in claim 4 with the addition that a transverse row of stitching extends partially around said sleeve intermediate its length.

7. A cast cover, comprising a tubular sleeve of an elastic material having an open end and a closed end, a transverse row of stitching extending partially around said sleeve to divide said sleeve into a foot portion and a leg portion, said foot portion having guard means of a waterproof material secured thereto, and a plurality of intersecting rows of stitching on said foot portion adjacent said guard means and defining sleeve areas therebetwcen adapted to have openings formed therein for the reception of a cast projection.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 347,442 8/1886 Rauh 36-81 1,258,052 3/1918 Stall 128165 1,980,486 11/1934 King et al 368.1 2,033,626 3/1936 Gammeter 261 X 2,244,871 6/ 1941 Guinzburg 259 2,423,354 7/1947 Van Hoesen 128-83.5 X 2,641,914 6/1953 Neurnager 128165 X 2,904,792 9/1959 Elliott 259 X 2,956,561 10/1960 Houde 128-835 3,000,378 9/1961 Zieman 128165 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

20 R. L. FRINKS, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 3 ,416 ,518 December 17 1968 Bessie M. Samuels et a1.

It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 57, "the" should read The lines 59 and 60, "The upper end of said sleeve is open, as at 21, and is probindinglly received in the upper end of the cast." should read the upper end of said sleeve can extend over and be bindingly received in the upper end of the cast.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of March 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A CAST COVER, COMPRISING A TUBULAR SLEEVE OF AN ELASTIC MATERIAL HAVING AN OPEN END AND A CLOSED END, A TOE GUARD SECURED TO SAID SLEEVE ADJACENT THE CLOSED END THEREOF, AND A PLURALITY OF INTERSECTING ROWS OF STITCHING ADJACENT SAID TOE GUARD DEFINING SLEEVE AREAS THEREBETWEEN ADAPTED TO HAVE OPENINGS FORMED THEREIN FOR THE RECEPTION OF A CAST PROJECTION. 